Rohit comes good in Mumbai’s win

NEW DELHI: Mumbai Indians registered a thrilling last-ball win over Delhi Capitals in the IPL here on Tuesday. This is the five-time champion’s first win in three attempts this season, while Delhi slumped to its fourth straight defeat to remain at the bottom of the table.

Set to chase 173, Mumbai’s captain Rohit Sharma shook off his poor form scoring 65 (45b, 6x4, 4x6) and was involved in a crucial 68-run partnership for the second wicket with Tilak Varma who made 41 (29b, 1x4, 4x6). Towards the end, Delhi bowlers tightened things to take the match right down to the last ball but Mumbai’s Cameron Green held his nerve remaining not out on 17 (8b, 1x4, 1x6).

Earlier, David Warner laboured to his third fifty of the season before Axar Patel flaunted his much-improved batting skills again to push Delhi Capitals to 172 allout.

Warner struck 51 off 47 balls before Axar’s impactful 54 off 25 balls took Delhi to a competitive total after Mumbai Indians put the host in to bat.

Veteran Piyush Chawla, who was commentating in the IPL last season after going unsold, showed he has still got his sublime skills in tact with a three-wicket haul for Mumbai Indians.

Prithvi Shaw, who struggled in the first three games, hit some high quality boundaries in his 10-ball 15 before falling to a sweep shot off spinner Hrithik Shokeen.

Number three Manish Pandey (26 off 18) used his feet brilliantly against the spinners but that also led to his downfall. Yash Dhull, who made his IPL debut after warming the bench for the whole of last season, could last only four balls.

When Chawla trapped Rovman Powell with a googly in the 11th over, Delhi was staring at a below par total at 86 for four.

However, Axar joined a struggling Warner in the middle and singlehandedly changed the momentum of Delhi’s innings.

Arguably the most improved batter of the Indian team over the last 12 months, Axar made his intentions clear with back-to-back inside out sixes off Shokeen.

Two overs later, it was the turn of left-arm pacer Jason Behrendorff to be at the receiving end of Axar’s onslaught. After dispatching him for a six over long-on, Axar targeted the same area again and got lucky as Suyakumar Yadav missed the catch completely and got hit above his eye with the ball going all the way.

Surya was expectedly taken off the field after that nasty hit.

Brief scores: Delhi Capitals 172/4 in 19.4 overs (A Patel 54, D Warner 51, P Chawla 3/22, J Behrendorff 3/23) lost to Mumbai Indians 173/4 in 20 overs (R Sharma 65, T Varma 41,